“Ah, your accent is cute!”: a conference on linguistic insecurity
With Marie-Eve Bouchard, PhD, socio-linguist and Associate Professor at UBC
Linguistic insecurity has become a major concern in recent years among French-speaking minorities in Canada. This insecurity, which manifests itself as discomfort or anxiety when speaking, can lead to a loss of confidence and an erosion of language skills. Existing work on linguistic insecurity has focused primarily on speakers who experience this insecurity. But one important element is missing: the interlocutor. How does the interlocutor contribute to the development of linguistic insecurity in speakers who speak a variety of French that is different from their own?
In this presentation, Dr. Bouchard will offer an introduction to linguistic insecurity from a linguistic perspective, based on her research with Francophones in British Columbia. The key takeaway from this presentation is that the development of linguistic confidence in young Francophones does not rest on their shoulders, but rather on those of the entire Francophone (and multilingual) community around them.
Dr. Marie-Eve Bouchard is an associate professor in the Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies at UBC. Marie-Eve holds a PhD in linguistics from New York University, where she specialized in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. She is interested in several issues related to language, speakers, and the society in which they live, including language contact, language change, language ideologies, language insecurity, and the link between language and identity. Since 2022, Marie-Eve has been particularly interested in linguistic insecurity among Francophones in British Columbia. Her research project on linguistic insecurity was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and her findings have been published in international linguistics journals.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. In French only.
Location: Alliance Française Vancouver
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
In partnership with Alliance Française Vancouver
Dramatic writing workshop – The Monologue
With Caroline Bélisle, author (Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups)
This two hour workshop gives theatre amateurs an opportunity to explore the writing of a monologue. Who speaks? To whom? What do they have to reveal to us? And above all: why can’t we stop listening? The writer of Liste des enfants dévorés par les loups, Caroline Bélisle, invites you to explore the characters we carry within ourselves and their urgent need to speak. No prior experience is required.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. In French only.
Location: Carousel Theatre for Young People – Studio A
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Full capacity on March 7.
Activity organized with the support of Programme FrancoZone and Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie
Creative activites for children
We invite children to join us on the afternoon of Saturday, April 11 for creative activities that recreate the enchanting underwater world of the show Petite Ondine, with the crafting fairy Muriel Marc!
Free activities, open before and after the performances.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. In French only.
Location: Le Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver
In partnership with Le Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver
Past event: Everyone is Interesting
Inspired by their internationally acclaimed social acupuncture workshops and performances, Mammalian Diving Reflex presents Everyone is Interesting: a community-focused project that aims to explore, engage with, and unite the individuals in their own cities. Over the course of this 75-minute workshop and neighbourhood tour, participants will engage in the company’s history and creation techniques. Artists guide the participants throughout public spaces to meet, play with, and get to know the strangers they inhabit Vancouver with, to prove the universal truth that Everyone is Interesting.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. Activity in English.
Location: Carousel Theatre for Young People – Studio B. Please note that this location is unfortunately not suitable for people with accessibility needs.
Time: 3:30pm – 4:45pm
Cancelled: The “PAR et POUR” (“By and For”) process
EVENT CANCELLED
Panel discussion, with the participation of Zoé van der Woude and Claudya Leclerc, from the Conseil Jeunesse francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
A key concept in youth engagement and involvement within a given community, the ‘PAR et POUR’ (“BY and FOR”) approach has helped bring many projects to life. Through inspiring testimonials and successful examples of projects led by young people, members of the Conseil Jeunesse francophone de la Colombie-Britannique will highlight the impact of this governance model in our community.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. Held in French only.
Location: Studio 16
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
In partnership with Conseil Jeunesse francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
Past event: Inclusive cocreation
With Catherine Bourgeois, author and director, Guy-Philippe Côté, Edon Descollines, and another performer from Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice
Director Catherine Bourgeois, along with performers from Cispersonnages en quête d’auteurice, invites participants to explore both the creative process and the themes of the show. Participants will be encouraged to take part in a collaborative and inclusive process that values personal discussion, experience, and imagination in order to create short scenes that highlight each person’s voice and ideas.
These theatrical explorations will focus on the themes addressed in the performance, including ethical issues surrounding cultural appropriation, privilege, consent… and unicorns! The workshop is open to everyone, regardless of experience or comfort level with theatrical creation.
Open to all and accessible without having seen the show. Held in French only.
Location: Arts Umbrella – Studio 309
Time: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Our goal
Through our cultural outreach activities, we strive to connect the social and the cultural realms and to create links between culture and the public space.
We align with the vision of Culture pour tous: Outreach creates privileged meeting places between artists and citizens, thus promoting interpersonal exchange, learning, and engagement. It can also help reduce psychological and social barriers that prevent target groups from accessing culture.
Language and access
At Théâtre la Seizième, we are committed to making the works and cultural productions we program accessible to as many people as possible.
Most of our activities and meetings will be held in French but some of them will be bilingual.
